Tips
One of the most common recovery areas for lost objects is the automobile. Your object may simply be lying on the car seat where you left it. Or it may have become wedged between cushions, or have fallen on the floor. If you were traveling in an automobile, check these places.
Instead of being where it’s supposed to be, your object may be where something else is supposed to be. What happened was a mental lapse, in which one routine motion got substituted for another. For example, your scissors are normally kept in a jar on the kitchen counter; but mindlessly you returned them to the tool drawer.
What were you wearing when you last remember having the object? Think back, then go search the pockets of those clothes. And be meticulous—search every pocket. The one you skip could be the one you’re after.
Are you one of those people who like to sprawl on the sofa? And your wallet—which you carry in a pants pocket—is missing? Maybe it fell out on the sofa. Go look.
It should be noted that dropping things is not the same as misplacing them: no lapse of memory is involved. So if a set of keys has fallen from your pocket, or an earring from your ear, most of the Principles will not be relevant. One that will be, however, is “Tail Thyself.” Simply follow your trail about the house, closely examining the floor, stairs, seat cushions, etc.
To reduce the likelihood of a misplacement, and to facilitate any searches that become necessary, keep your home neat and orderly. Remember the maxim: A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE.